It may have taken a 10 year break, but British Airways is reinstating flights to Fuerteventura from December 2014.

The flights will operate from Gatwick twice a week, all year round and start from 13th December. The route will be operated on Airbus A319 and A320 short-haul aircraft, which the airline announced would be receiving a new look in the cabin, featuring stylish new seats.

British Airways already serves the Canary Islands with flights to Lanzarote leaving twice a week and Tenerife flying seven times a week.

Tourism minister Helen Grant has been criticised for telling Brits affected by the passport processing delays that there’s a lot to be said for the ‘staycation’.

The Maidstone MP told House magazine that she was confident people will get their passports on time, but if they don’t want to go away “we have some fantastic places to visit and holiday not that far from here”.

She then went on to promote sporting events in the UK this year, including the Tour de France Grand Depart, the golf, Commonwealth Games, and the “football that we can watch on the TV”.

Her comments have been defended by her Tory colleagues, saying that as tourism minister, she is right to champion the domestic tourism market, but claim that she was in no way linking it to the passport backlog.

Her words, however, have angered consumer groups and the Public and Commercial Services Union, particularly as she is reportedly planning a holiday abroad in Spain later this year.

Richard Simcox, spokesman for the union commented: “It is incredibly unhelpful while people are desperately trying to get hold of their passports for ministers to be making this sort of glib remark.

“They should be focusing their efforts on sorting out the problem in the Passport Office. It is all very well for her to go off to Spain while suggesting people who can’t get hold of a passport should stay at home.”

Brits just can’t get enough of the sunshine state of Florida, with Orlando the particular holiday favourite for this summer according to recent analysis.

The metasearch website momondo.co.uk analyses its UK flight search data from the last three months, for travel during the UK holiday period and a departure date between June and August 2014 and came up with Brits’ top summer destinations.

The website also studied the most popular places in the world according to data from 20 of the UK’s biggest airports to create each airport’s “Top 5” summer destinations. Orlando appeared in seven out of 20 of these airport lists.

Other firm favourites were Spanish destinations of Alicante and Malaga, coming in third and fourth respectively on overall most-searched destinations for summer 2014. Both also appeared in the top five for 13 out of 20 UK airport lists.

“It’s encouraging to see Orlando in favour with Brits this year as a popular place to visit over the summer holidays, with its excellent activities and parks for the whole family. And long-haul destination New York was also popular this summer too – at a time when the climate is warm.

“It seems the traditional Spanish summer break though will always appeal to Brits, with short-haul flights and a practical sun guarantee. It is interesting to see Turkey hot on the heels of Spain however, with Dalaman coming in fifth most-popular destination overall. Sizzling hot weather and great deals on this up and coming destination no doubt will be drawing the crowds in this year,” says Julie Pedersen, Spokesperson for momondo.

Ryanair will start a weekly Cardiff to Tenerife service from 30th October.

Flights will operate on Thursdays, leaving Cardiff at 11.15 and arriving in Tenerife at 15.20 local time. Return flights will be a 06.55, arriving in Cardiff at 10.50.

Tickets are on sale now.

Start to look for your perfect holiday accommodation on the island from our large selection of holiday villas.

Choose from a selection of quality villas and apartments in Tenerife with Greenslades Villas and Apartments. Many have private or shared pools to choose from, and travel and car hire can also be arranged.

The only reason Orlando was pipped to the post was because of the long flying time of around nine hours from the UK, otherwise, its world-famous theme parks and near-constant sunshine ranked extremely favourably for child-friendly holidays.

Around eight in ten respondents said making sure a destination is child-friendly is their main priority when booking a holiday. Factors that contributed to a family-friendly holiday included nearby play areas, a good choice of food to cater for fussy eaters, and a shallow sea. Half of the parents polled said the ideal holiday destination must have nice beaches, and 28% said kids’ swimming pools are essential.

The study also found that the ideal holiday would last an average of 10 days, and involve less than five hours of travelling time, making many of theEuropean destinations ideal for family breaks.

The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has travelled with his family to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands for the Easter holidays.

The Camerons are understood to be taking a self-catering vacation at a holiday villa in the centre of the island, just outside of San Bartolome.

Spanish police sources confirmed to local media that there is a security plan in place for the PM’s visit to the volcanic island, one of the most popular of winter sun destinations.

The visit looks set to do wonders for tourism as Director of Lanzarote’s tourist board, Hector Fernandez, said the PM’s visit was an “important pat on the back” for Lanzarote’s reputation as a holiday destination.

Here at Villaseek we have lots of holiday villas on Lanzarote, and across the Canary Islands. Whatever your political bent, there’s no denying the beauty of the place as a great choice for a holiday!

The latest TripAdvisor Choice Awards for Destinations show a marked shift in desired city breaks for 2014.

Traditional destinations such as Paris, Barcelona and New York have all dropped significantly down the rankings, making way for more Asian destinations, with Beijing, Hanoi, and Shanghai all breaking into the top 10 for the first time.

Other favourites, such as Sydney, fell 12 positions to 22, and San Francisco fell 18 places to 25. London, however, remains as popular as ever and maintains its number three position for the second year running. It was pipped to the top spots by Istanbuland Rome, taking first and second place respectively.

TripAdvisor spokesperson James Kay said: “It is interesting to see traditionally popular destinations Paris, New York and Barcelona drop down the rankings.

“This year’s results show that there are a number of destinations around the world that are starting to compete with the more traditional ones.

“However, London still continues to sustain its position in the top five and while there is no doubt the birth of the royal baby helped keep the eyes of the world on London in 2013, but the capital’s continued appeal among travellers around the world surpasses any one event.”

In the UK Awards, two seaside destinations crept into the top 10 this year. Torquay in Cornwall is in a very respectable third place, and Llandudno in Wales sits pretty in eighth place.

The awards were determined by an algorithm on the TripAdvisor website that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for accommodation, attractions and restaurants gathered over a 12-month period.

Ryanair is looking to grow passenger numbers by extending its budget flights to new markets including Turkey, Israel and Russia.

It has ordered 175 new aircraft, the first of which will be delivered in September and be used to service the new routes.

New head of corporate travel and groups, Lesley Kane, said “We are talking to new airports, a lot of which are key business airports, some of which are in totally new markets which are actively looking to encourage Ryanair to fly there.”

The airline wants to attract more business travellers, groups and families to increase its passenger numbers from 81.5 million to 110 million by 2019.

Not always known for being easy for families, Kane said that it aims to launch more children-friendly products. Currently children are allowed to take a teddy and an extra bag on board, and the airline is looking into giveaways such as free allocated seating for children to sit next to their parents.

Next winter Ryanair will have aircraft based in Athens, Brussels, Barcelona, Madridand Lisbon. Most of these will offer multiple flights to Stansted.

For those of you who hate flying, but find it the cheapest way to travel abroad, you could be in luck. Brittany Ferries is launching its new no-frills service to France and Spain from 26th March.

Brittany Ferries économie is designed to appeal to passengers wishing to travel to France and Spain on a budget and without the onboard services normally available.

French catering will still be available, but with limited choice. Cabins won’t have carpets but will still have en-suite facilities; and entertainment will be limited to a movie lounge. There will be two specially adapted cabins for disabled passengers, and 12 pet-friendly cabins.

Group commercial director Mike Bevens said: “Whilst our services to western France have been established for many years, those to Spain are currently enjoying great success, so we are seeking ways to build on this and grow the market.

“We feel that there is an opening for a no-frills, great-value service which will appeal to those who are on a tight budget and may not have even considered travelling by ferry before.

“The Brittany Ferries promise has always been about “choice” – we have ten routes, plus high-speed services, as well as cruise ferries – and this is taking the concept one step further.”

There will be a weekend service between Portsmouth and Santander in northern Spain and five return crossings between Portsmouth and Le Havre, one as freight-only.

One-way fares start at £79 for a car plus two to France and £169 (including reclining seats) to Spain.

Bookings will open online shortly, but in the meantime registrations can be made by calling 0871 244 1400.